REBLOG: The Timely Aesthetically Pleasing Idea: We Are Poetry

Image Credit: Sabine Sauermaul

Unexpected and blessed surprises always fill my heart with indescribable joy. As I was scrolling through my reader earlier, I landed on the following post, which was beautifully composed with such amazing and detailed precision. I am so grateful and truly humbled to Selma Martin for submitting this outstanding review of my book, “We Are Poetry: Lessons I Didn’t Learn in a Textbook.” I am even more impressed by the number of books she has read and reviewed. If you are on Goodreads.com, please connect. Thank you so much Selma once again for this awesome review!

Photo by Ylanite Koppens on Pexels.com

The Timely Aesthetically Pleasing Idea: We Are Poetry

Firstly, this is not a poetry collection but, as you must have gathered from the title: We Are Poetry: Lessons I Didn’t Learn in a Textbook by Kym Moore is a book about poetry made up of real lessons the Author learned about poetry. It’s a book packed with a retelling of experiences lived and wisdom gained. And we, the readers, are invited to listen and share a spark to continue the conversation about poetry.

Secondly, I’m merely 65% done with the book, and my heart is imploding with a desire to tell you about it. I will finish it before I know it, but even at 65%, I have an excellent idea about this book.

I purchased the digital copy early in the year and read it on and off, struggling with the print size on my phone. Not fair.

And all my attempts at having it read to me (iPhone function I adore) were in vain. But some miracle happened of late, and I breezed through so many chapters. But let me warn you: the beauty of this book is in chewing the words slowly. It’s like a slow, soul-cooked meal that demands introspection. Perhaps while sipping tea.

“We are simply a constellation of bodies swirling in a giant golden teacup of human magic.” — Author Kym.

Throughout the book, you will discover the many beautiful ways this Author’s mind is a well of inspiration in the ways she pairs aesthetically pleasing ideas into marriage: between science and poetry, tea and poetry, an empty box and poetry, innovation and poetry, between you and me and poetry, and so on and so on. Golly, this is a refreshing way to root for, understand, and let poetry embrace the “whole” world. Because, indeed, we are poetry! 

As you read, your eyebrows will get a good workout, as will your heart: in amazement and disbelief. So be ready for this. Mine got a good workout with one story I will relate as concisely as possible. I must tell you about this episode Author Kym Moore encountered in the first year she was selected as one of the World Book Night volunteers for the U.S.

“The concept behind World Book Night (held annually on April 23) was to give away free, special-edition copies of books written by well-known authors to people who were not avid readers. The goal was to encourage and motivate these recipients to read more. During my first year as a World Book Night volunteer, I chose to give away “I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings” by my favorite poet Maya Angelou. I offered my free copies (20 books) to an organization I thought would take advantage of this gift and opportunity. The response I received was not quite what I expected,…

I would be honored if you clicked here to continue reading more of Selma’s lovely review.

Soul Mate

Image Credit: Deflyne

Mind over matter
comb through the ethos of time
silent connection.

© Kym Gordon Moore

To recognize, to feel, to connect, to love, to help, to support the intensity which is built with a natural affinity that is significant and extraordinary. Well, that’s my soulmate drawing me close.

The Poetry of Abstract Art

Image Credit: Barni1

Huh? What is it? Why?
I can’t decipher but try
I’m stumped, but smitten.

Abstract art they say
confusion is all I see
still fascinated.

© Kym Gordon Moore

Sometimes abstract art may not always be understood and perhaps it wasn’t necessarily meant to be. Like dancing, you glide through the ebb and flow of textures, colors, randomization, or even haphazardness, feeling something that may be sublime or unmoving. Perhaps abstract art doesn’t have to make sense, it just invites a conversation that probably never would have happened before you encountered it. Maybe it is a shock to your creative system that disrupts your “normal” order of things, and introduces you to an extravaganza of cultural delight. 

Sometimes, you have to shake up your creative juices with a new flavor of artistic spices. Instead of the same ole, same ole day-to-day, bland serving of boredom, you would not believe what a pop of color and a little pattern disruption would do to your attitude, your atmosphere, and your conversation. Maybe, just maybe, abstract art is not created to be understood but felt. That’s the beauty of artistic poetry.

Image Credit: Steve Johnson

Image Credit: Mayur Deshpande

Image Credit: Steve Johnson

What is Required of Me Today?

Image Credit: dndankele

Keep calm, don’t worry, stay alert, and listen. What is the higher calling required of me, to serve my purpose right now, right here? What will I face today? Where will my path lead? What difference can I make that is positive, encouraging, and uplifting for someone who may not even know that they need it?

I can’t get thrown off
being distracted by the distractions
where worry replaces calm
like deeply pitted pains of contractions
as I look inward
deciding the approach to my reactions
the things that don’t fit
aren’t additions but subtractions.

©Kym Gordon Moore

Stop, watch, look, feel, and listen.

Mothers Have a Way of Being Empowered by Curiosity and Observation

Image Source: From Behind the Pen (Adapted from “Did Curiosity Really Kill The Cat? 2017″)

Curiosity is a quality related to inquisitive thinking, such as exploration, investigation, and learning, which is evident by observation in humans and other animals. Curiosity had nothing to do with killing the cat, it simply empowered her.

Oh Mighty Lioness

Like a haute couture runway model on the catwalk
her prowl, deliberate, poised, and with purpose
she doesn’t simply exist in the wild, she flourishes
running towards danger that makes her want to run away

her feistiness is cool, cautious, and uninhibited
a warrior and hunter, swift, leaping, and powerful
compassionate and protective den mother for her cubs
to ensnare her, your efforts may be futile and deadly

she is the one animal most feared by the lion
to pique her curiosity it didn’t kill the cat
it taught her how to live and survive
molding her into a mighty Lioness in the jungle!

©Kym Gordon Moore

💐Wishing mothers everywhere, a HAPPY MOTHER’S DAY weekend!💐

POETRY, PASTRIES, & PIES Podcast: The Aromas Baked by Mother’s Hands

Image Credit: NordWood Themes

Click here to follow, visit and engage with any of the Poetry, Pastries, & Pies episodes

As we approach Mother’s Day, whether you are celebrating with your mother or paying tribute to her memory, we hit our recall button of the delightful flavors and aromas that came wafting from the oven as we patiently waited for what they were baking. Old school moms had a way of makin’ it, shakin’ it, and bakin’ it, without even using a recipe card. A pinch of this and a sprinkle of that, and Wahla! Oh my goodness, once that baking delight hits your tongue, you feel like you’ve been teleported to another planet.

You are invited to pay tribute in the comment section to your mother, grandmother, or anyone else who has been a mother figure to you and could whip up a pastry, pie, cake, or other mouthwatering baked delight without breaking a sweat. In my podcast, I give a nod to my mother Henrietta, with my poem “Mom’s Deep Dish Pear Pie Symphony” because she could throw down with a deep dish pear pie that would make you lose your mind. Thank you for listening!

Image Credit: Finn-b

We Are Poetry, the Chiasmus

Here, I’ve taken the title of my poem “We are Poetry” and turned it into a chiasmus poem.

We are poetry

Poetry are we

Are we poetry

Poetry we are.

© Kym Gordon Moore

Chiasmus is a type of language that is seen when two or more parts of a sentence are reversed. It is used to add an artistic flair to what is being said, and can also be used to compare two similar statements by contrasting them. This sentence brings two ideas together, which have a similar meaning, and contrasts them within the same statement.

A Taste of Poetry Theater Starring Students from Johnson C. Smith University (includes Podcast)

Students of Poetry Theater, from Johnson C. Smith University (L to R) Kevin Harris, Robert Adams, Eliana Moultrie, Asanti Mack, Scottie Artis, Tim Newman, Amelia Smith, Cameron Kromah, Cameron Johnson, Jayden Petrus, Ladaija Hawkins (click on image for a closeup)

Wednesday, April 26, 2023, set the stage for a production of epic poetic proportions during the final celebratory days of National Poetry Month and National Library Week. The event was held at the James B. Duke Memorial Library on the campus of Johnson C. Smith University in Charlotte, North Carolina.

It was an honor and delight to listen to these beautiful students take my poem “We Are Poetry” and spin it into a recitation that was electric and intellectually stimulating. I was so excited as I watched these amazing students, under the direction of their professor, Dr. Rhunette Diggs, make the words of my poem come alive in a way I never imagined. I became emotional as the emphasis each student placed on every word in this poem transformed into pure magic. That, my friends, is what I call melt-in-your-mouth Poetry Theater.

“Poets are actors on a theatrical stage starring in a cast of words.” -Kym Gordon Moore (From the book, We Are Poetry: Lessons I Didn’t Learn in a Textbook)

Students also coordinated their attire by wearing black or a combination of black and white to symbolize strength, unity, diversity, and inclusivity. In the image above, they are holding black and white “We Are Poetry” fans as a declaration of solidarity to symbolize a poetic voice to the voiceless, during this historical and momentous occasion.

“We Are Poetry” Game Day Giveaways

JCSU James B. Duke Memorial Library

Poetry Theater performed by JCSU Public Speaking class

Beautiful thank you letter from Dr. Rhunette Diggs, JCSU Professor of Communication 

While this presentation focused on my poem, “We Are Poetry,” from my book, We Are Poetry: Lessons I Didn’t Learn in a Textbook, this collaboration did not focus on me but on “we.” These students oratorical delivery captured the essence and purpose of what this poem, moment, and book reflect.

Listen to the podcast!

💐 Happy Birthday to My May Bouquet of Flowers

Image Credit: Venita Oberholster

Sending a shoutout to all of my friends and family born this month. HAPPY BIRTHDAY y’all!

Oh happy day, and it’s safe to say

incredible flowers flourish in May

as you grow dear bud, bloom in a delightful way

throughout the entire month celebrate your birthday.

©Kym Gordon Moore

Image Credit: Linnaea Mallette

So Long National Poetry Month, Hello to a Year of Poetic Love

Image Credit: Nick Fewings

Boy does time fly. I can’t believe this is the last day of National Poetry Month. While this monthlong commemoration may be over, the joy, love, and celebration of poetry aren’t. So, as we give the month a proper send-off, we open our arms to the year-round excitement that we hold fondly in our poetic hearts, which flows to our poetic minds, and filters through our poetic fingers and toes. Oh, what a feeling! We love you POETRY!